Buenos Aires Cricket & Rugby Club
Encyclopedia
Buenos Aires Cricket & Rugby Club, sometimes known simply as Buenos Aires or B.A.C.R.C., is an amateur multi-sports club from the San Fernando
district of Greater Buenos Aires
, Argentina. One of Argentina's oldest clubs still in existence (was founded on December 8, 1864), BACRC is one of the four clubs co-founders of the Argentine Rugby Union.
The club currently has competitive teams in rugby union
, field hockey
and cricket
.
Originally located in the district of Palermo
, B.A.C.R.C. was officially founded as a Cricket
club by British expatriates on 8 December 1864. On that date the club defeated sailors from the visiting HMS Bombay
85 runs to 31, just 6 days before that ship would be destroyed in a fire on the River Plate
, in a freak target practice accident.
. The games was originally planned to be played in La Boca
but had to be moved due to floods.
The game was such a success that some members would go on to found the now defunct Buenos Aires Football Club
. For years to come both clubs would share installations and members with B.A.C.C. playing Cricket in summer and B.A.F.C. playing Football in winter.
Rugby
was first adopted by B.A.F.C. in 1874 and would quickly become the club's preferred code.
At first Rugby games only involved members of the club. In 1886 the club played against Rosario
, the first time two different clubs ever met for a game of Rugby in the country.
In 1899, along with Rosario, Belgrano
and Lomas
, Buenos Aires Football Club became founding members of "The River Plate Rugby Union", which would later become today's Argentine Rugby Union.
The first provincial
championship was created the same year. A powerhouse at first, B.A.F.C. won 8 of the first 15 editions of this championship. Since the 1920s however, the club has struggled to compete with younger clubs, including San Isidro's
2 giants: CASI
and SIC
. Overall, the club has won 10 provincial championships, the last one in 1959.
The new club moved to the Don Torcuato area one year later, just next to Hindú Club
. The club would move again in 1987, to its current location in San Fernando.
In 1997 BACRC inaugurated the first purpose-built rugby stadium in Argentina.
San Fernando, Buenos Aires
San Fernando de la Buena Vista is a city in the Gran Buenos Aires, in Argentina, and capital of the San Fernando Partido, north of the city of Buenos Aires.- Geographic Data:...
district of Greater Buenos Aires
Greater Buenos Aires
Greater Buenos Aires is the generic denomination to refer to the megalopolis comprising the autonomous city of Buenos Aires and the conurbation around it, over the province of Buenos Aires—namely the adjacent 24 partidos or municipalities—which nonetheless do not constitute a single administrative...
, Argentina. One of Argentina's oldest clubs still in existence (was founded on December 8, 1864), BACRC is one of the four clubs co-founders of the Argentine Rugby Union.
The club currently has competitive teams in rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
and cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
.
Buenos Aires Cricket Club
There are records of a cricket match played by members of a Buenos Aires Cricket Club as far back as 1831 but because the archives of the club were destroyed, little is known about the exact relationship between that club and Buenos Aires Cricket & Rugby Club as it is known today.Originally located in the district of Palermo
Palermo, Buenos Aires
Palermo is a neighborhood, or barrio of the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires. It is located in the northeast of the city, bordering the barrios of Belgrano to the north, Almagro and Recoleta to the south, Villa Crespo and Colegiales to the west and the Río de la Plata river to the east. With a total...
, B.A.C.R.C. was officially founded as a Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
club by British expatriates on 8 December 1864. On that date the club defeated sailors from the visiting HMS Bombay
HMS Bombay (1828)
HMS Bombay was an 84-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 17 February 1828 at Bombay Dockyard.She was fitted with screw propulsion in 1861. Her efficient ventilation system spread a fire of unknown origin during target practice near Flores Island in the River Plate on 14...
85 runs to 31, just 6 days before that ship would be destroyed in a fire on the River Plate
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
, in a freak target practice accident.
Buenos Aires Football Club
On June 26, 1867, several members of the club met on a field in Palermo to play what would be the first game of football ever played in ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. The games was originally planned to be played in La Boca
La Boca
La Boca is a neighborhood, or barrio of the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires. It retains a strong European flavour, with many of its early settlers being from the Italian city of Genoa. In fact the name has a strong assonance with the Genoese neighborhood of Boccadasse , and some people believe that...
but had to be moved due to floods.
The game was such a success that some members would go on to found the now defunct Buenos Aires Football Club
Buenos Aires Football Club
The Buenos Aires Football Club was an association football club from Buenos Aires, Argentina. The club merged with Buenos Aires Cricket Club in 1951 to form Buenos Aires Cricket & Rugby Club-History:...
. For years to come both clubs would share installations and members with B.A.C.C. playing Cricket in summer and B.A.F.C. playing Football in winter.
Rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
was first adopted by B.A.F.C. in 1874 and would quickly become the club's preferred code.
At first Rugby games only involved members of the club. In 1886 the club played against Rosario
Club Atlético del Rosario
Club Atlético del Rosario is a sports club from Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina. The sports currently practised at the club are rugby union, field hockey, cricket and tennis.-History:...
, the first time two different clubs ever met for a game of Rugby in the country.
In 1899, along with Rosario, Belgrano
Belgrano Athletic Club
Belgrano Athletic Club is an amateur sports club from the Belgrano neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. One of Argentina's oldest institutions still in existence, Belgrano is one of the four clubs that founded the Argentine Rugby Union....
and Lomas
Lomas Athletic Club
Lomas Athletic Club is a sports club from Lomas de Zamora, Buenos Aires, Argentina. One of Argentina's oldest clubs still in existence, Lomas is one of the four clubs that founded the Argentine Rugby Union...
, Buenos Aires Football Club became founding members of "The River Plate Rugby Union", which would later become today's Argentine Rugby Union.
The first provincial
Unión de Rugby de Buenos Aires
This article is about a Rugby organization. URBA can also refer to the URBA mass transport system.The Buenos Aires Rugby Union , usually referred as URBA, is the governing body that organises and controls the rugby union in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, as well as the Buenos Aires Provincial...
championship was created the same year. A powerhouse at first, B.A.F.C. won 8 of the first 15 editions of this championship. Since the 1920s however, the club has struggled to compete with younger clubs, including San Isidro's
San Isidro, Buenos Aires
San Isidro, Buenos Aires is a municipality in Greater Buenos Aires and one of the most affluent municipalities in Argentina. It is located in San Isidro Partido in the Buenos Aires Province....
2 giants: CASI
Club Atlético San Isidro
The Club Atlético San Isidro is a sports club based in San Isidro, Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina. Mostly known for its rugby union team , the club hosts other activities such as field hockey, tennis, football, golf and squash amongst others.-History:The sporting institution was founded on 24...
and SIC
San Isidro Club
The San Isidro Club is a rugby union and field hockey club sited in Boulogne Sur Mer, Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina. The club is also member of the Unión de Rugby de Buenos Aires .-The beginning:...
. Overall, the club has won 10 provincial championships, the last one in 1959.
Buenos Aires Cricket & Rugby Club
In 1951, after a fire destroyed both B.A.C.C. and B.A.F.C. installations, the two clubs decided to merge and become Buenos Aires Cricket & Rugby Club.The new club moved to the Don Torcuato area one year later, just next to Hindú Club
Hindú Club
Hindú Club founded in 1919, is a sports club based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Mostly known for its rugby union team , the club hosts other activities such as soccer, tennis, golf and bridge.-History:...
. The club would move again in 1987, to its current location in San Fernando.
In 1997 BACRC inaugurated the first purpose-built rugby stadium in Argentina.
Titles
- Torneo de la URBATorneo de la URBAThe Torneo de la Unión de Rugby de Buenos Aires, or simply Torneo de la URBA, is a rugby union competition in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Created in 1899, it is the oldest rugby competition in South America and one of the oldest club competitions in the world....
: 10
-
- 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1908, 1909, 1915, 1958, 1959